There are a lot of elements here that graced Hornby's stunning debut, High Fidelity. Talking about rock music, hardcore fans, and the ebb and flow of modern computer-generated love, this new book follows Tucker Crowe, a once-famous musician gone underground. We follow him through failed marriages, an ever-diminishing font of creativity, and ultimately a trip to England, where he meets online acquaintance Annie and the pair run through a brief and particularly odd affair.

Hornby is in terrific form here,
whipping out clever, humorous dialogue and wrapping it around wonderful storytelling and a charming wit. Still, at the very heart of these pages there is a melancholy bordering on real sadness; our characters will prevail, though, in one way or another.

This one isn't as clever as High Fidelity, but there are enough of those typically Hornby pieces - music, relationships, and the criss-crossing of the two - to make this a very fun read.